1. Field of the Invention
In general, the present invention relates to systems and methods of manufacturing pads of cloth and paper that are used to apply and remove cosmetics and skin care products. More particularly, the present invention relates to the shape of such pads and the manufacturing techniques used to produce and package such pads.
2. Prior Art Description
Pads that are made of cloth, cotton, paper and other non-woven materials are often used to apply and remove cosmetics and other skin care products. Typically such pads are formed to be either square or round. Both round pads and square pads are used for different purposes. For example, square pads are commonly used to remove nail polish. The salient points of a square pad are useful in reaching the recessed areas of the nail bed. Round pads are commonly preferred when removing or adding skin care products to rounded surfaces, such as eyelids and cheeks.
Pads are often packaged and sold in stacks. If the pads are dry, they are typically packaged in a simple bag. However, if the pads are moistened with some liquid, then the pads are typically packaged in jars or similar resealable containers that retain the moisturizing liquid. Pads are relatively thin. When they are stacked, it is often difficult to lift a single pad from the stack, especially if it is moistened. An individual square pad can typically be lifted from a stack by manipulating a salient corner of the square pad until it folds up away from the stack. However, due to their physical geometry, round pads have no salient points. It is therefore much more difficult to lift a single round pad away from a stack. It is especially difficult to lift a single round pad from a stack that is moistened and is positioned within the confines of a jar.
In the prior art, systems have been developed to try to assist a person grasp a thin pad that is in a stack. The prior art systems fall into three primary categories. The first category includes systems that use mechanical dispensers to separate a single pad from a stack of pads. Such prior art is exemplified by U.S. Pat. No. 5,894,927 to Bennett, entitled Dispenser For Applicator Pads. The problem with such systems is that complicated dispensers are expensive to manufacture. Furthermore, the use of a dispenser requires that pads be bought separately and transferred to the dispenser when the dispenser requires refilling. These disadvantages severely limit the commercial appeal of such systems.
The second category includes systems that alter the shape of the pads to make the pads easier to grip and remove from a stack. Such prior art systems are exemplified by U.S. Pat. No. 5,738,212 to Pollard, entitled Fibrous Pad And A Dispensing Package Therefore. The problem with such systems is that they require the shape and thickness of the pads to be altered. This complicates the manufacturing process and makes the pads more expensive to manufacture.
The third category includes systems that vary the orientation of each pad within the stack so that the pads always have a corner that extends freely from the stack. Such prior art systems are exemplified by U.S. Patent Application No. 2007/0017840 to Louis Dit Picard, entitled Stacking Of Fibrous Pads. The problem with such systems is that they require the pads to be either square or rectangular in shape. It also requires complex packaging equipment that rotates each of the pads as the pads are stacked atop one another. This complicated packaging equipment makes the pads more expensive to manufacture.
A need therefore exists for a system and method of creating round pads in such a manner that individual pads are easily grasped from a stack. A need also exists for a pad design that utilizes simple manufacturing and packaging techniques, yet can produce a stack of pads where each pad is oriented differently from the other pads that it contacts. These needs are met by the present invention as illustrated, described and claimed.